HAYNESVILLE GATHERING LP

Incident Narrative

DURING THE MORNING OF THE INCIDENT, THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA AND THE DOWNSTREAM AMINE TREATMENT PLANT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTING AND LOST POWER SUBSEQUENTLY SHUTTING IN AT AROUND 08:30. AT 09:00, OPERATIONS RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM EMERGENCY RESPONDERS THAT A WELL WAS BLOWING OUT OR RELIEVING NEAR HWY 4. SUPERVISORS AND OPERATORS BEGAN TO MAKE THEIR WAY AROUND TO THAT SIDE OF THE FIELD TO INVESTIGATE BUT TOOK EXTRA TIME DUE TO TREES BEING ACROSS THE ROAD. SOON THEREAFTER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A WELL WAS NOT BLOWING OUT, BUT A PIPELINE HAD RUPTURED IN THAT AREA. THE EXACT LOCATION OF RUPTURE WAS UNKNOWN AT THE TIME, BUT THE PIPELINE WAS IDENTIFIED AND OPERATIONS BEGIN ISOLATING THE WELLS AND THE PIPELINE BETWEEN 09:20 AND 09:25. LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONDERS EVACUATED 2 HOMES AS A PRECAUTION AND SHUT DOWN HWY 4 ONCE THE LEAK LOCATION WAS IDENTIFIED. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OCCURRED. THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED AROUND 09:30 AND THE PIPELINE WAS COMPLETELY ISOLATED BY 09:40. NRC WAS NOTIFIED AT 10:30, BUT THE CALLER SAT ON HOLD FOR 20 MINUTES AND DID NOT SPEAK TO AN OPERATOR TILL AROUND 10:50. FURTHER EVALUATION OF THE RUPTURE IDENTIFIED INTERNAL CORROSION WITH PITTING. DAMAGED SECTION OF PIPE WAS CUT BACK TO CLEAN PIPE AND SENT OFF TO BE EVALUATED WHICH WAS DETERMINED TO BE MICROBIAL INDUCED CORROSION.